Lila's Story
by kayla3194
Summary: Lila, a not-so-average freshman, moves to Forks with her father, hoping to start a new life. That all changes when she meets the Cullens, and they learn her secret. Will they accept her, or will they see her as a threat?
1. One: Chance at a Normal Life

**I don't own any of the Twilight characters, but Lila and her father are my own characters. Hope you enjoy!**

Chance at a Normal Life

High school is a new experience for anyone. It's a chance to make new friends, to find out what you want to do with your life, and to have loads of fun.

I was sure that my high school years held all of those possibilities and then some. Highschool, with all of the people and places and things to do, would make it easy for me to disappear-to blend into the background. Even though Forks was a small town, I was hoping that I could soon become invisible. I wouldn't be that "strange, home-schooled ... girl" with no friends. I could be the plain, unnoticed girl who everyone knows but no one is close enough to her to care. My dad wouldn't be the "poor, sad old thing who has to care for that troublesome girl all on his own". He could be a normal parent-get involved with the PTA or something. Spend the weekend fishing and watching those sports games that I refused to even glance at.

I wanted so much for my dad, but for me, I just wanted peace. I didn't need to be popular- I wanted to avoid it. I didn't want friends-they could ask all the wrong questions. I had too many secrets to get close to anyone at all.

My father banged on my door, making it rattle in its frame. We lived in an old, two-story house near the edge of town. The woods started near us-down the street near the Swan residence.

"You're going to be late to school!" he shouted through the thin wood. I groaned and rolled over. All of my expectations didn't mean much to me this early in the morning.

"Get up! New town, new schedule!" he shouted, with a last thump on the door. I knew he didn't like to be this harsh with me-we were actually really close to each other. But after years of experience, he knew this was the only way to get me up.

I finally got out of bed, nearly falling flat on my face when my foot caught on the edge of my blanket. Straightening, and glad that no one had seen that, I hurriedly put on old jeans and a blue t-shirt. No serious fashion was to be found in my closet. I went into my bathroom, running a brush through my hair.

I raced downstairs, almost running into Dad, who had been coming back up to shout for me again. He grinned when he saw me. "My little girl, heading off to school. I thought I'd always be stuck with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks Dad. That makes me feel great."

His grin widened, and didn't disappear as he handed me breakfast-a bowl of cereal. My dad wasn't exactly a master chef.

"Remember, Charlie said he could get Bella to give you a ride to school if you ever need one," Dad said, watching me wolf down breakfast. "I'll drive you when I can, but if you're running late, I can't wait for you."

"I know, Dad." I threw my bowl and spoon into the sink. Dad and I had met Chief Swan the weekend before. He had come to welcome us to Forks, and had seemed comfortable enough at our home. I was glad-now maybe Dad could have someone to watch his games with. We hadn't had a chance to meet Bella, his daughter, though. She was away, Charlie said, at Edward's house.

Apparently, Edward was one of the adopted children of the Cullens, a family that lived just out of town. From the rumors we had heard, they were a strange family, mostly keeping to themselves.

I shrugged into my jacket, grabbing my backpack from where it waited on the kitchen chair.

Dad was already starting up the car when I got outside. I opened the door, hesitating for a moment before I shut it. This was it. I was really going to school. I would really be surrounded by all of these people, strangers that I'd never known, people that would never realize the danger they were in, now that I was in town.

"Think you'll be okay today?" Dad asked.

"Yeah," I said, shrugging to make it seem like I wasn't worrying. "I won't let anyone get too close."


	2. Two: Bella and Edward

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster as we neared the school. My excitement couldn't completely cover the nervousness I felt. What if I lost control? What if someone was suspicious? What if we had to move again?

I tried to push these thoughts out of my head as my father stopped the car near the double doors leading inside. He hesitated for a moment, then half-turned to me. "You stay with Bella today, okay? Don't wander off."

I smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "I'll be fine ...."

I opened the door, fingers clenching around the strap of my backpack. The car door slammed with a little more force than necessary, but my father didn't seem to notice, and, waving, drove away.

I stood there for a moment, trying to picture how I must look to the other students who were passing by. A new girl, probably lost already, and only a freshman. I knew there was a hint of interest, but that was gone as soon as it came.

Suddenly, a brunette with brown eyes walked up to me. "Are you Lila?"

I glanced at the girl, and realized that she fit Chief Swan's description of his daughter perfectly. "Yes, I am. You must be Bella."

Bella smiled softly at me, before turning towards the pale, silent young man beside her. "This is Edward."

His indifference changed into hostility in a matter of seconds. Edward's face had been calm moments before, but it was now blazing, glaring at me with an intensity that made me want to turn and run. But, somewhere deep inside me, I knew I wouldn't be able to run far enough. I knew this Edward wasn't exactly as he seemed.

It was obvious that he had sensed something different about me from the moment he acknowledged my existence, and it was the same for me. He didn't look or act like other humans. Just seeing Bella and Edward standing next to each other was enough of a contrast for me to confirm that.

Bella, oblivious to the death stare Edward was giving me, smiled again. "Are you ready for your first class?"

Apparently, it was common at Forks High School for freshman who tranferred late in the year to be escorted around campus by an upperclassman. This meant that Bella would have to take me to each class. Bella would drop me off, but would be late for her own classes. She would then have to leave early to pick me up to take me to my next class.

It was very inconvenient for me, and I knew that she probably wasn't that happy about the arrangement at all. Most of the other upperclassmen would gladly have taken the burden from her as an excuse to get out of class. The pairing hadn't exactly been random, though. The principal had selected Bella because we lived so close together.

I tried to smile back at Bella. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Edward leaned down towards Bella, ready to take his leave of them. "See you soon," he purred in Bella's eyes before turning and striding away, never glancing back once. Bella stared after him. I could see that she was confused, and that the look on his face frightened her.

But I wasn't going to explain his mood to her, as much as I wasn't going to explain myself to Edward.


	3. Three: After School Visit

After School Visit

The day was uneventful.

The other students seemed oddly interested in me at first, but when their curious questions were met with my bland answers, their hopes for an interesting new friend dimmed. They accepted me as if I had been there all along. It was nice, comfortable-almost normal.

When the final bell rang, the halls automatically filled with students, almost as eager as I was to leave the building as soon as possible. All of my expectations had gone as soon as they had come.

I saw Bella outside the front doors, a smile already on her face. "Lila! How was your day?"

I shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. "It was fine."

"Are you sure we can't give you a ride home?" Bella asked. Edward had appeared over her shoulder and was standing there impatiently.

"No, thanks. My dad's taking me home."

"Okay, but if you ever need a ride, let me know. Edward always picks me up and drops me off, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind driving you too."

Edward smiled weakly, for Bella's benefit.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm sure we can manage."

Edward, shifting uneasily, turned to Bella. "Are you ready to leave?"

Bella nodded. "Bye, Lila." She smiled before Edward started to gently tug her away.

As she turned, she was so focused on Edward that she didn't see my smile fade into a scowl.

My father was there a few minutes later, apologizing for the delay. He was trying to tell me some story about a mix up at work, but I wasn't really listening. My mind was elsewhere, trying to think of reasons that Edward would automatically seem to hate me.

The only explanations that I could come up with were the worst ones. What if he knew my secret? That was impossible. I had never seen him before, and I hadn't told anyone about it. Dad wouldn't endanger me that way, either.

Maybe it had been the same strange experience for him as it had been for me. He wasn't like the others-I could tell that just by looking at him. He was too pale, too secretive, too different. Maybe he had sensed the same about me.

Dad pulled into the driveway, shutting off the engine. He apparently hadn't noticed anything unusual about my behavior, and I was thankful for that.

He unlocked the front door, holding it open for me. I smiled, brushing past him and dropping my backpack by the kitchen table. I could deal with homework later. I had to see the Cullens now.

Looking up, I noticed that I would have to tell my father something.

"Hey, Dad?" I said, staying where I was.

"Uh-huh?" He didn't look up. He had already opened the newspaper and was absorbed in the sports section.

"I'm going over to the Cullens for a minute. School project." I half-smiled at him.

"The Cullens?" He finally looked up. "Isn't that doctor a Cullen?"

"Yes, Dad. I have to . . . Interview him."

Dad lost interest and returned to the newspaper. "Mmm. Well, okay. Make sure you thank him and his wife for coming over last week."

Dr. Cullen and his wife, Esme, had stopped over when we were moving in to welcome us to Forks. We hadn't seen them since, but I knew where their house was. My father and I had passed by it a few times before we knew it was theirs. It was secluded, hidden in the woods, and, if I hadn't heard the other freshmen talking about it today, I would never have guessed that the unremarkable path led to the Cullen residence.

"I will," I said, backing away. I was soon out the door, and grateful that he hadn't asked any other questions. I wouldn't want to answer him if he asked how I was going to get there. I knew how to drive, but I wasn't going to do something illegal. Walking would take to long. I wasn't going to get a ride from him, or Bella.

I would run.

Of course, if I mentioned this to Dad, he would forbid it. Running was something I loved to do, but it was dangerous. If I ran too fast, people could find out what I was.

I took off.


	4. Four: The Truth About the Cullens

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The Truth About the Cullens

I reached the house much faster than I ever would have if I had taken a car. It was much bigger and more open than I had expected. But I knew that I had more important things to do than stand and gape at their elegant home. Whatever I found in this house would probably change everything.

Of course, that would only happen if I turned out to be right. If Edward was just a normal boy who needed a little more sun and happened to be overprotective of his girlfriend, then I could always pretend I ... really was there to interview Dr. Cullen. But there was the fact that I had forgotten to bring a notebook to "take notes" in. . .

Brushing these thoughts from my mind, I marched up to the front door, trying to seem confident on the outside and, on the inside, regretting ever coming here. How had I let my curiousity take control of me?

It was too late to turn back now. I raised my hand, ready to ring the doorbell-and came face to face with a petite, pixie-ish young girl.

"Hey, Lila!' the girl exclaimed, smiling brightly and flashing two rows of suddenly intimidating teeth.

My arm fell back to my side, and I stood there, gaping.

"I'm Alice!" the girl, Alice, added, and then promptly enveloped me in a hug. I was overwhelmed by the smell; the same smell that had surrounded Edward today. It was somehow almost floral, yet menacing, as if the sweet perfume of it hid something darker underneath.

But Alice didn't give me much time to think about this, because apparently I smelled as weird to her as she did to me.

She drew back as suddenly as she had come, and examined me, her cheerful face a little more serious.

"Edward was right! You do smell different! Not like the other humans at all! It's almost as if . . . " She leaned forward. "As if you have no scent as all!"

Alice, getting over this, was enthusiastic again. "I'm sure Carlisle will know what that means!" She paused, eyes loosing focus for a second. After a moment, she said, "I knew it! You're going to explain everything! Perfect!"

I was no longer trying to control my shock. I stared at her, hoping she would eventually explain.

Alice absentmindedly took hold of my elbow, pulling me over the threshold and inside the house. She shut the door behind me. I let her lead me down the hallway a few steps before I stopped.

"How . . . How do you know my name?" I asked, avoiding Alice's golden eyes.

"Oh! How silly of me to forget!" Alice said, smile widening. "I can see the future!"

My staring continued.

Alice stared back. "It's not that strange, really. After all, we're not even supposed to exist!"

"We who?"

"Me, you, my family. Vampires."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Vampires. I had never met any, but it all made sense. The odd reactions with Edward. How the Cullens seemed to smell.

Alice noticed my expression, and her face fell. "Why are you so surprised?"

"I haven't . . . I mean, I didn't . . . It's not . . . I . . ." I stuttered, words and thoughts all jumbling together until they made no sense at all.

Alice's eyes lost focus again before returning to me. "Oh, I see it now. That's a relief. You'll explain everything . . ." Her voice trailed off as she glanced deeper into the house. "We might as well take this conversation into the living room. Everyone's waiting there. Edward's telling them all everything we're saying anyway."

"Edward knows what we're saying?"

Alice glanced sideways at me. "I keep forgetting you don't know yet. Edward can hear people's thoughts."

"Oh." I swallowed hard, yet again regretting my decision to come. All of this-Alice's fortune telling, Edward's mind reading-it was too much. And they were all vampires?

I could see all of the Cullens and, surprisingly, Bella, as we stepped into the living room. I realized how ironic it was to call the room that. If I was to believe what Alice said, Bella was the only living person in there.

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	5. Five: No Secrets

"That's Calisle-and Esme-Rosalie-Emmett-you know Bella, and Edward-and there's Jasper." Alice smiled encouragingly down at me. She looked happy enough to have my there, but I couldn't say the same for the others. Jasper looked ready to attack at any moment; Rosalie looked like she was about to bite my head off. Bella looked more confused than anything, and Edward was forming a protective cocoon around her, glaring at me fiercely. Emmett didn't look bothered or ... interested at all. Esme and Carlisle didn't seem capable of any negative feelings, but I knew that they would always do what was best for their family.

Alice , smile still in place, whispered, "Don't worry-you'll be fine, once you explain yourself."

I couldn't tell if she was just saying this or had actually seen it happen, but even if I had found my voice in time to ask, Alice was across the room, perched on the arm of the chair that Jasper was sitting in.

I was left alone, standing awkwardly by the wall. I crossed my arms across my chest, avoiding their gazes until Carlisle spoke.

"Now, Lila, Edward's told us about your meeting at school today. Well, you can imagine he was startled he first saw you. New students aren't usually . . . You do know what we are, don't you?"

I nodded.

"Good, good . . . We expected that, of course. You could tell, when you met Edward?"

Another nod.

"You are one of us, aren't you?" Carlisle seemed puzzled. I thought that maybe he had never seen a vampire get nervous in front of so many of its own kind.

I hesitantly shook my head.

The atmosphere in the room changed immediately; I could feel the hostility and tension rising. Edward's arms tightened around Bella, Jasper sprang up, and Carlisle looked more confused than ever.

Suddenly, Alice let out a little laugh of relief. "Oh! That's . . . different. But that perfectly explains everything, Lila."

Edward was looking at me with a mixed expression of revulsion and an odd sense of fascination.

Carlisle looked pointedly at Alice, then at Edward, obviously wondering what they knew. He finally turned to me.

Feeling everyone's eyes on me, voice shaking slightly, I said quietly, "I'm vampire and human."  
Everyone remained silent, and I took that as a hint to add more. "My . . . My mother, she was bitten by a vampire when . . . When she was pregnant . . . With me."


	6. Six: Explaining

Every moment I spent there, I felt like I was in danger. My whole life, I had been taught by my father never to tell anyone my secret. I was supposed to support the story we had come up with-that my mother had perished due to unexpected complications at my birth, and that my brother had graduated from highschool early and was away at collage.

Here I was, sitting on a couch in their house, with vampires surrounding me and listening to every word I said. I couldn't believe I was telling them ... that my mother's death was, in fact, my fault-that my birth had killed her-and that my brother had run away-from me, from the memory-and we only heard from him once at year, at Christmas.

I told them how one night my mother was held late at work, and had to walk home alone. There were no other pedestrians, and my mother was soon alone. I told them how the vampire attacked and almost killed her, but abandoned her when a car turned down that street. "They phoned an ambulance and got my mother to the hospital in time. The stress put her into labor early. Almost immediately after I was born, she died. The venom had spread to me, partially changing me before I was separated from my mother. She couldn't be saved-the venom hadn't had a chance to change her . . ."

My voice changed abruptly as I talked about how my father had raised me and immediately noticed that I was different from any other child. "It didn't take him long to realize that something was wrong with me . . . He realized that I would have to be home schooled, and kept away from others as much as possible. He was trying to protect me. Dad only truly realized what I was-what had killed my mother-when he caught me feeding on a squirrel . . ."

The Cullens were surprisingly good listeners and didn't interrupt, thought I could tell that they were bursting with questions.

Once I had run out of things to say, they had a chance to ask them.

"No, Emmett, I've never fed on human blood. It's . . . disgusting."

"Yes, Alice, I do sleep."

"Yeah, I do eat regular food, Esme."

Then came the question of aging. I had obviously grown since I had been a child, but there was no way to tell if I'd suddenly stop. Carlisle was especially interested in this and wanted to run some tests. I knew it would be important, but was still uneasy and knew that I wasn't looking forward to that. I had never been a fan of hospitals or medical things. I had never gone to the doctor. In fact, my father and I had done as much as possible to keep me away from there. The doctors would immediately notice that I wasn't human. Of course, we had no idea how I would react to any serious injury-so far, I had been lucky enough that we still didn't know the answer to that. And, being in a hospital meant that there would be blood nearby. We didn't need to take a chance and have me start attacking people. I didn't know if I would be able to resist.  
Carlisle, the doctor, by far the oldest of the Cullens, could barely keep his eyes off me. I guessed that I was the most interesting medical experiment to cross his path in a while. He said that he had never heard of this happening. Even if a vampire did bite a pregnant woman, the baby would die along with the mother, he said.

Wasn't it just my luck to be the one to survive.


	7. Seven: Abilities

After the round of never-ending questions, Esme offered to get me something to eat. Apparently, they kept food in the house, though no one ever ate it. I accepted the offer-I was starving, and I was sure all of the Cullens had heard my stomach rumbling.

While Esme, with Alice in tow, swept off into the kitchen, I realized that Bella was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, a little sharper than I meant to.

She grimaced ... slightly, and sighed. "It's just . . . You're . . . And they're . . . And you're . . ." She sighed again.

I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way. I could understand that finding out someone was half-vampire after showing them around Forks High School all day could be quite disturbing.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened, arms locking around Bella. The skin around his eyes tightened as he frowned. Then, just as suddenly, he relaxed, more than he had since I had come into the room-since he had first seen me, I imagine. He let his head fall back against the couch, face already softening.

Bella looked even more confused than I was. "Edward? What is it?"

He lifted his head to look at me-for once, with a little less hostility and a little more curiousity. "I've been concentrating this whole time, trying to get something from her. I haven't heard anything-until now."

We kept staring at him.

"Your thoughts! They've been sounding muffled, almost as if they're covered be something. Right now, for a moment, I managed to hear the thoughts clearly. I think I've lost it again . . ." He fell silent, brow furrowed with concentration.

Bella and I looked at him for a few moments, but he remained silent. We exchanged a look, and it seemed as if Bella had accepted me during Edward's explanation.

I looked around at the other Cullens. Carlisle was pacing back and forth, occasionally pausing to stare out the window or rifle through a book he pulled from a bookcase nearby. Emmett had turned the T.V. on, and Rosalie was sitting sullenly beside him, arms crossed.

I sighed. Jasper was staring at me too. His look was intent and unrelenting. I regretted looking his way instantly-he seemed clever, dangerous, and not exactly happy that I was there. He let out a frustrated groan.

Edward glanced over at Jasper. "No, I'm not having any more luck, either."

Bella rolled her eyes at me, and we waited for more.

"Jasper can't tell you're what you're feeling. It's annoying him."

This seemed like a good enough explanation for Bella, but not for me. The blank look on my face prompted Edward the say more.

"Jasper can tell people's emotions. He can also affect them when he's nearby."

Another with a special ability!

I glanced around the room, trying not to make eye contact with Jasper. It was hard, because I knew he was still staring.

I happened to look at the clock, hanging on the wall nearby. 6:30! Alarmed, I glanced down at my own watch, just to make sure the Cullen clock was right.

It was.

This was terrible! I'm not sure what my face looked like-I must have looked terrified-but I sure knew how I felt.

I was going to be dead! My father was going to kill me! He might not have minding an hour, maybe, at the Cullens, but three and a half?

I shot up from the chair I was sitting in, almost making it fall over in my haste. My eyes darted around for a second before I said, "Does anyone have a phone I can borrow? I need to call my Dad before he comes over here to find me!"


	8. Eight: Dad

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**As you probably know, I don't own Twilight.**

Everyone stared blankly at me for a moment before springing into action. Edward separated himself from Bella, then leaped up and handed me his cell phone. He was out of the room in another moment. He was so fast that I stood there stunned for a moment before I began typing in my house number. Of course my father, not being updated to the twenty-first century, didn't have his own cell phone, and wouldn't get me one either.

The phone rang and rang. From the kitchen, I could hear muted yet ... frustrated sounding voices. Jasper was pacing back and forth near the doorway to the kitchen and seemed to be listening intently to what they were saying.

Bella was still sitting on the couch, biting her lip and looking like she wanted to do more to help, but knew that she couldn't. She seemed to realize that it would be best for her to stay put in the frenzy the house had turned into.

The phone rang a final time, and our voicemail picked up. I left a quick message, hoping that my father had just fallen asleep. "Hey, Dad, it's Lila. I'm sorry I forgot to call earlier but . . . " I searched for an excuse. "Dr. Cullen invited me to dinner. I won't be much longer, and I'll be home soon. Love you!"

I hung up, and stared at the phone as if wishing my dad would call back, even though he didn't know Edward's phone number.

Numb, I gingerly sat on the edge of my chair. I stood up again as the Cullens filed one by one into the room. I was about to give Edward his phone back when Alice tilted her head to the side, eyes unfocused. We watched her carefully until she seemed to come back to the present.

She turned to me. "Your father's going to be here in a few minutes."

"There's nothing we can do to stop him?" Edward asked anxiously.

"Nothing short of forcefully taking him back to his house. That man is seriously worried." Alice sighed. "But I think we can do this."

Everyone turned to stare at me.

"What?" I asked, forcing myself not to cringe away from all of the eyes now turned to me.

"This is all her fault!" Rosalie exclaimed, and I was afraid that she was speaking for all of the Cullens. "If she had never come here, this would have never happened! We don't know whether we can trust her, and now another human is coming here!"

"Rosalie, relex," Carlisle said. "We can handle this. We pretend to be normal all of the time; what's so different about doing it now?"

"We're supposed to be safe here! We're supposed to be able to let go, and not worry about some stupid half-breed and her human father coming here to ruin everything!"

"Rosalie, this isn't going to change anything. He'll be gone in a few minutes-everything will go back to normal-"

"One minute," Alice said in a loud voice that immediately silenced everyone. She turned back to me. "What are we going to tell him?"

"Well," I hesitated. "When I left him a message, I said that you had invited me over for dinner."

Alice glanced at the clock, then nodded to herself. "We can do that. Jasper, dirty some dishes and put them in the sink. Esme, when he comes in, start cleaning the table. The rest of you, act human."

Alice oversaw everyone, making sure they were doing exactly what she wanted. She poked and prodded until the Cullens, Bella, and I were all doing what she thought were proper "human activities".

Alice walked over to the door, waiting to let the doorbell ring before she opened it. "Hello, Mr. Cooney!" she said with just the right amount of surprise in her voice. "Lila just tried to call you; I'm not sure if you got the message? Please, come in!"

I winced, knowing that, though the Cullens would be polite, I was in for it when we eventually got home.

Alice and my father stepped down the hallway and into the living room, where we were all in our various "human" poses. I saw my father give me a warning glare before making his face pleasant again to greet Carlisle.

"Sorry to barge in on you like this, Carlisle, but Lila was gone for so long . . ."

"No, no-it's our fault. The time just flew by, and we invited her to join us for dinner. I should have reminded her to call you sooner."

"Well, Lila always has been very forgetful, just like her father." He smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, we should probably go-it's a school night, and I'm sure your children have homework, too."

I caught myself wondering if the Cullens could help me with my homework. I wasn't sure how many times they had gone through high school, but surely they knew much more than I did.

I could see Edward smirking out of the corner of my eye. But he couldn't read my thoughts-could he? He glanced over, just for a moment, and I remembered that he had heard my thoughts once before, when I had been thinking about my father. Maybe times of extreme stress made my thoughts clear?

I didn't have more time to think about my theory because in the next moment Carlisle and Esme were escorting us to the front door.

"It's been a pleasure, Lila," Esme said as we stepped out. "Please feel free to visit us again."

My father was silent as we walked to his car, an old Ford Taurus. I knew he wouldn't stay silent for long.

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	9. Nine: Forgiven

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Twilight! Lila and her father are my own characters.**

My father used the car ride home to vent about his worry and frustration with me. He was happy that the Cullens were so hospitable and didn't seem to mind my intruding on them, but he warned me not to make a habit of it. He said that he didn't want me spending so much time over there in the future.

I shifted uneasily in my seat while he ranted, fiddling with my seatbelt every so often. It made me uncomfortable to think that I might have to lie to my father in the near future. I knew that now everything about my dreams about life in Forks had changed. I had wanted to become a normal girl with normal friends. I wanted to fit in. I didn't care about being independent; standing out from the crowd made too many people notice you, and that was something that I definitely did not need.

Now that the Cullens knew my secret, and I knew theirs, I wondered whether they would trust me. If I had been in their place, would I have trusted myself? Probably not, I thought. A strange half-vampire randomly moving to your town would set any vampire coven on edge.

My only hope was that we could eventually bond over the fact that we both didn't intentionally feed on humans. I had never in my life tasted human blood, and never wanted to. The thought had in fact crossed my mind once or twice, but I instantly dismissed it. It was disgusting. I was still half-human, and why would I want to kill someone so close to my own species? Take my father, for instance-I'd lived with him all fourteen years of my life, and not once had I come close to quenching my thirst with his blood.

I tried to block these thoughts out of my mind for a while. I did, actually, have a lot of homework. Coming to school in the middle of the year had been a bad idea. Even though I did know most of the material, school was school, and I had been harboring distaste for it ever since I realized what school actually was.

By the time the Taurus pulled into our driveway, my father had exhausted his store of pent up anger. We sat there for a moment in the car, neither making a move to get out. Finally, my father cleared his throat.

"Lila," Dad said. "How was your day at school? We didn't really get a chance to talk about it. I want to know all of the gruesome details."

I grimaced and fake-yawned. "Aw, but Dad, I'm tired and it's late-"

"You're not getting out of this one, Lila."

We sat there in the car for a while, going over my school day in full detail.

Dad slyly glanced at me sideways out of the corner of his eye. "Any cute boys in school, Lila?"

I groaned, throwing my arms over my face. Of course he would mention this eventually, even though I knew he was mostly joking. I gave him the safest answer I could think of. "Of course not, Dad. Besides, I was trying so hard to catch up that I didn't get a good look at anybody."

He seemed a little relieved. It was at times like these when I missed Mom the most. Even though I had never known her, I knew it would be easier to talk about guys with her than with my Dad.

The next day, my Dad woke me up with his cheerful pounding on my door. It would surely break down soon, if he kept up with this amount of abuse.

The ride to Forks High School was much better than the ride we took the night before. My father had seemed to forgive my forgetfulness, saying, "I was only a teenager", but, if I ever forgot to call again, I would get more than just a lecture.

I pointed out to Dad that if I had had a cell phone, none of this would have happened, but of course he just laughed and blew off my not so subtle hint. Instead, he talked on and on about how lucky I was that the Cullens were so hospitable and that I shouldn't bother them for so long again.

It took much longer to arrive at our ... house by car than it had taken me to run over to the Cullen house. My father was in a better mood when we got home and seemed to forgive me, as long as I promised never to forget to call him again. I promised, then went upstairs. My father had been right about having to do homework-even though it had been my first day at Forks High School, the teachers hadn't gone easy on me. I was just thankful that my father had taught me enough so that I was caught up with my class.

The next morning, my father woke me again with his pounding on my door. I was sure it wouldn't stay standing much longer if it had to put up with this daily abuse. I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. I put on jeans and a sweater-I had learned my lesson yesterday and wasn't about to wear another t-shirt in cold, cloudy, rainy Forks.

I went downstairs, taking care to watch my feet. In our old house, I had fallen down the stairs more times than I could count due to early morning drowsiness. I wasn't about to start that again.

I considered skipping breakfast because I wasn't that hungry, but I knew that I'd need the energy later. Sitting at our kitchen table, I thought about last night and everything I'd learned about the Cullens. What would happen when I saw them today?

My stomach twisted and I dumped the rest of my cereal in the sink. At least I wasn't riding to school with Edward and Bella. I wanted to put off that meeting for as long as I could.

Dad drove me to school again, but before I could step out of the car, Alice's face appeared at my window. She had a small smile on her face-she probably knew how badly she'd startled me.

"Hello, Mr. Cooney!" she trilled. I couldn't understand how she had so much energy this early. "We didn't officially meet yesterday. I'm Alice!"

"Hello, Alice. Thank you for having Lila over yesterday."

"It was no problem! I just hope she got enough information from Carlisle for her project." She winked at me. "Carlisle said she could come over tonight if she needs to talk to him again. Edward could drive her to our house, and we could bring her home afterward, if that's all right with you."

I could see that Dad was fighting with himself. He didn't want to disappoint Alice, but I knew that he thought he shouldn't let me go because of last night. He finally caved-I knew that no one could refuse Alice. "It sounds fine to me."

"Thanks Mr. Cooney!" Alice cried, stepping back so I could get out of the car. My father half-smiled and nodded to us as he drove away.

"How are you, Lila?" Alice asked me as she led me towards a Volvo sitting nearby. The rest of the Cullens, and Bella, were standing around it.

"I'm fine," I said, and I wasn't exactly lying. It had been easier than I had expected to act normal around Alice. But I could see the looks that the other students were giving me, especially the ones that I hadn't really talked to yesterday. I could imagine what Edward was hearing them think.

Look at her. She thinks she's too good for us.

The Cullens must like new girls. There's another one they've taken in.

I tried my best to ignore the eyes I could feel watching me.I glanced around at the vampires standing in front of me. Rosalie looked mad. Jasper looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and I knew Alice, who was as cheerful as ever, was making him stay here. Emmett looked happy enough, and Bella seemed glad to have enough human-if only half human-around. Edward looked ready to pull Bella away at a moment's notice. It was as if he thought I was going to explode. I knew it would be a while before he trusted me.

"We better go if we don't want to be late for class!" Alice said. She took my hand and led me to the front doors, smiling reassuringly at me. The others followed behind us, seeming reluctant to have me with them.

My classes before lunch were identical to the ones I'd had yesterday. It was harder to concentrate, and I couldn't seem to grasp what the lessons were about. I made more of an effort to talk to my classmates. Some of them seemed happy enough to talk with me, but the rest ignored me for the most part. I wasn't sure if this had to do with my past behavior, or the Cullens.

Lunchtime finally came along. One of the girls from my English class, Elizabeth, asked if I would sit at her table. But, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alice waving me over to their table. I promised Elizabeth that I would sit with her another day, but I could tell she was disappointed. I wasn't sure if I had lost another opportunity for a friend.

I took my tray over to the table that Bella and the Cullens occupied and gave them a weak smile. There was an empty seat next to Alice and across from Bella. I was glad that I was near Bella-it felt weird to be one of the only ones eating.

There wasn't much of a conversation during the period. I could see Edward and Alice giving each other meaningful glances, but I couldn't figure out what they meant. I puzzled over them during my afternoon classes.

When the bell finally rang, I took my time packing up my books. I wasn't in any hurry to meet the Cullens.

**Please review!! Click that button!! Thank you!!**


	10. Ten: Experiments

I was holding on to the edge of my seat as we made our way to the Cullen house, and not just because Edward drove at several times the speed limit. I imagined that I felt the same way that a kid going to the dentist would-not that I would know, never having gone. But a sense of dread and anxiety hung over me like a storm cloud, at any moment ready to dump torrents of rain on me.

I realized that I was coming to trust the Cullens. They wouldn't betray my secret, because, in turn, they would be letting out their own secret. I didn't think they would force me away, either; not yet, at least. I knew that Carlisle was interested in me, and that was enough to keep me around for a while longer.

Bella was silent beside me, avoiding looking out at the trees flashing past the window. Obviously, she didn't like traveling this fast, either. Alice sat in the passenger seat next to Edward and, though I couldn't hear any words, it seemed like they were having a conversation with each other.

The silver Volvo pulled into a long, winding driveway-the one I had run up the day before. Edward parked the car and got out, opening the door for Bella. I was the last one out. I knew I couldn't possibly put this off any longer.

When we reached the house, I was surprised that Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie weren't there. I guessed that they had gone elsewhere. I didn't know why, but thought that maybe they were too uneasy being around me. I wasn't sure where Esme was but apparently she wasn't going to be around for this.

Carlisle stepped forward to greet us. His footsteps made no sound in the great, echoing house. I was suddenly self-conscious as we walked further into the depths of the house. Bella's footsteps were the loudest, but I could hear my own sounding faintly on the floor. The Cullens could walk without a sound; why couldn't I? Was that another thing wrong with me?

Carlisle seemed to sense my nervousness immediately and tried to be as gentle as possible. "I'd like to run some tests on you, Lila, if you don't mind."

I did mind, of course, but I knew that this was important, both to him and to me. For him, it was probably just for the sake of science. For me, it would be finding out which was my dominant half-vampire or human?

I tried to smile, knowing that I wasn't fooling anyone. "Sure, that's fine."

He smiled, and I could tell that it was a real smile. He couldn't help himself-I could tell he was excited. "Come along, please; I have some things set up in my study."

I followed him and Alice came with us, leaving Bella and Edward alone. Bella looked like she wanted to come with us, but Edward obviously didn't want her that close to me. I understood why he felt that way and tried to ignore it.

Carlisle held open the door for us and Alice and I passed through. Bookshelves full of hundreds of books lined the walls, but the rest of the study had been transformed. Hospital equipment, borrowed from his job, was scattered about. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest and hoped that it wasn't bothering Carlisle or Alice.

I glanced around, trying to take it all in. I'd seen some of the things on T.V., but never in real life. Most of it was impossible for me to identify. I tried to come up with the things they might do, but I knew I wouldn't even be close.

Alice smiled down at me. I was sure that she, along with Carlisle, could tell how confused, shocked, and awed I was. Alice led me over to a chair and I sat down, hands twisted together in my lap. I tried to stop fidgeting as Carlisle started an explanation.

"Lila, I need you to cover your right eye with your hand," he said. "Can you tell me what the letters of the last line on that chart over there are?"

I read the letters aloud without any hesitation or difficulty with both eyes. Carlisle looked pleased and brought out another chart, setting it up much farther away.

"Can you read the letters of the last line of this chart?"

With much difficulty, I managed to stammer my way through the line.

Carlisle nodded to himself, glancing from the chart back to me as if judging the distance between us. "You have excellent eyesight, Lila. Far better than any human. It's not quite as refined as ours, but it's very impressive."

From there, Carlisle tested my hearing. The results were almost identical to how I had performed on the sight test. I was stuck in the middle-better than a human, but not quite as good as a vampire.

Carlisle measured and weighed me, hooked me up to several different machines that I was both curious about and terrified of, and finally came over to me. It looked like we were almost done. Then I saw what he held in one gloved hand. It was a syringe. That small object was enough to bring back the fear that had disappeared.

"Lila," Carlisle said, seeing the look on my face. "I'd like to take some blood samples. I'll test them at the hospital. Lila, this could be very important. It could help us understand how your body works."

I blinked hard, trying to clear my thoughts. I knew Carlisle was right and yet I was still afraid. I finally nodded once, the sharp jerk of my head coming out before I could stop myself.

I saw Alice leave the room out of the corner of my eye. I didn't care-I was trying not to feel anything. I focused on the wall and started counting the books on the shelves. One, two, three, four . . .

Several books later, Carlisle was finally done. He stood up, looking very puzzled. I rolled my sleeve down, not wanting to ask him what he'd found out. I saw him motion to Alice and she came strolling in. I could tell she was trying not to wrinkle her nose. Did I suddenly smell bad to them or something?

Carlisle said, "Lila, it seems as though your blood has almost no effect on us. You're enough of a vampire that it does little to us and we can't think of you as prey. You're as appealing as, well, a werewolf."

"A werewolf?" I was glad that there didn't seem to be a problem with my blood around the Cullens. I knew still wouldn't take any chances around them, but why compare my appeal to a fictional creature?

"Yes," Carlisle continued. "I don't know if you've met any where you lived before, but the ones living here aren't appetizing at all."

I could feel my heart speeding up again. "There are _werewolves_ here?"

Carlisle looked surprised. "You didn't know that?"

I gaped at him.

"I suppose you haven't met them yet."

I shook my head.

Carlisle was silent, looking over at Alice. Alice sighed. "We never told her anything about the Quileute reserve. She's probably never known werewolves exist. We thought they died out years ago."

I looked from Alice to Carlisle and back again. "So, werewolves are real?"

"Yes."

"Great . . . And why don't they appeal to you?"

Alice shrugged. "It might have something to do with the fact that werewolves are designed to kill us and we try our best to prevent that."

"Werewolves are our _enemies_?"

"That's right."

I now had an enemy that had apparently been around my entire existence without my knowing.


	11. Eleven: What Now?

**Hello everybody! I've replaced Chapter Nine-now it actually makes sense! Apparently, half of it got lost in transit last time . . . Sorry about that! And, starting in the next few chapters, the story is going to get longer. Sorry they've been so short !! =]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. But I do own March 1. It's my birthday. =]**

Carlisle then told me that I was free to go. Smiling widely at me, he slipped off his plastic gloves, carefully picked up the sample of my blood, and was out the door in a flash. I assumed that he was off to the hospital. I knew that this would keep him occupied for a while.

Alice gently took my hand and led me downstairs. Bella and Edward were sitting on the couch. The television was on, but I could tell that they both weren't really watching it. They looked up in unison when we entered.

"That's good," Edward said in a low voice, responding to Alice's thoughts, I think.

"What's good?" Bella asked. I was glad that she had asked him-I was still a little intimidated by him-and that I wasn't the only one out of the loop.

"It seems as though Lila's blood has almost no effect on us," Edward said, trying to sound casual.

"That's great!" Bella agreed, flashing me a smile. It was nowhere near as dazzling as Carlisle's had been, but it was sincere and beautiful in its own way.

"I'm not sure, Alice," Edward said, mouth hardening into a line. "I don't know what their reaction would be-and you obviously can't tell, either."

This was getting really annoying. How could Bella stand it? But I guess she was used to not hearing their conversation and looked calm enough as she patiently waited for one of them to explain. This time it was Alice that took pity on us.

"We're trying to decide whether or not we should tell the pack about Lila." The pack? Oh, she must have meant those werewolves she was talking about before. But why would we want to tell our enemies anything?

Edward saw the confusion on my face. "We've reached an understanding with the pack and we're trying our best to keep on good terms with them.

"Surprising them with a half-vampire now might be bad, but surprising them with one who's living here a month, or a year-that might anger them and make them drop the treaty. They might see you as a threat and want to, uh, get rid of you."

I saw through his choice of words. Get rid of me? I knew the werewolves wouldn't stop at that. If they were worried about the people here, surely they'd be worried about the people elsewhere. The werewolves would want to _kill_ me?

"I could be wrong, Lila."

Oh, _that_ was going to be annoying.

I saw Edward's lips turn up the tinniest bit-smiling at my thoughts, no doubt.

I was really going to have to learn how to control my emotions. This "I only hear your thoughts when you're stressed" stuff was not going to work out.

"So," I said nervously. "Should we just tell them? Wouldn't it be easier to just get it out there, and let them interpret it the way that they want?"

"It would be better than having them think we were deceiving them the entire time," Alice agreed.

We all looked at Edward.

He shrugged. "I don't know if it will be better or worse. I just know that we are going to have to tell them eventually."

"Then it's settled. As soon as possible, we'll meet the pack and introduce them to Lila."

Alice tried to ease the conversation into lighter topics, but it was hard not to think about what was to come. I didn't want to be torn between the werewolf and vampire feud. I was already torn between humans and vampires, just because of what I was. I was sure that the werewolves would eventually accept my presence here. I didn't feed on humans. I didn't even know most of what I could do vampire wise. After all, I hadn't ever met any other vampires until now, so it wasn't like another one could follow me here.

I was sitting there trying to convince myself of this when the rest of the Cullen's adopted children came in. They didn't give an explanation for where they'd been and piled into the room, fitting into their separate spaces as if they had been meant to be there the whole time. I didn't know how, but I could sense that they had heard our whole conversation and were thinking it over themselves.

Alice got up and motioned for me to stand. "I'd better take you home. We don't want your father to worry."

I nodded in agreement and silently followed her to the door.


	12. Twelve: Friends?

I didn't sit with the Cullens at lunch the next day.

It wasn't that I was mad at them. I didn't have any reason to avoid them. It wasn't even because my father would be suspicious that the only people I hung around were the Cullens. I just wanted a taste of that normal life, the life I had dreamed about that first morning I arrived in Forks. It was hard to remember that we had only moved here a few days ago. It felt like a lifetime.

Like a baby just learning to walk, I stumbled through the steps of friendship. I started with Elizabeth, whose offer I had turned down the day before. Not only was she in my English class, it turned out she was also in history and science with me. Our names weren't that chose alphabetically, but we still managed to form a tentative relationship. We were assigned a history project, something about the Roman Republic, and we picked each other as partners. I was glad that I had started this "friend" thing today-I would have been left alone, a total loser.

I know, I know-what with the whole half-vampire thing, plus the Cullens nearby, and top it off with arch-enemy werewolves, I shouldn't have been worried about my popularity. But I was. At least I knew I was somewhat normal in that way.

And, yeah, I liked the feeling of normal. Once I had it in my system, I didn't want it taken away. Normalcy was an addictive drug to me.

Elizabeth was my key to the rest of my class. I felt like a scientist-or a stalker-watching her movements and trying my best to copy her, to act human. I watched the way she seemed to let her blond hair flop all over the place without a care. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with laughter, even after the class was called to order.

When lunchtime came, Elizabeth and I walked into the cafeteria side by side. I tried my hardest not to glance over at the Cullens-avoiding the inevitable about the same way a person tries to avoid death-and, after only a second of internal struggle, I looked over.

From my point of view, standing in line to buy my lunch, the Cullens might have looked like any of the other humans packed into the cafeteria, if I hadn't known any better. I noticed that no one really seemed to speak to Edward, but he talked to them, and, every so often, Alice would daze off for no apparent reason.

Elizabeth nudged me. "Are you okay? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Sure, sure," I nodded. "Yeah, I did."

We finally headed to our table and sat down. Elizabeth introduced me to the others seated there. I tried to concentrate and memorize their names, but I could feel several pairs of eyes burning into the back of my head. I flushed red, looking down. The color deepened as my anger grew. Why did I still have to be able to blush? The Cullens couldn't.

It was a long period, to say the least. The conversation at the table was filled with worries about tests-upcoming and those not yet scored-and boys. The all-girl table I was currently occupying a seat at seemed to like to talk about boys a lot. I can't say I didn't enjoy that . . .

But I knew a boyfriend would be impossible. Not taking into account the whole I-might-suck-your-blood thing, my dad would pretty much kill me. I wondered if most fathers were like this. Were they all so protective of their daughters? And even if I by some miracle managed to convince him to let me have said boyfriend, there were the Cullens to deal with. I wasn't even positive that they were okay with me having human friends, let alone a boy who was much more than a friend. They might think I'd do something horrible if we, for example, kissed.

My worries were pointless. I didn't need to imagine what my dad and the Cullens would think of my boyfriend. I didn't need to be nervous about my self control. What guy would want to go out with me anyway? I glanced around the room, examining the tables near us. So far, no guy had seemed the least bit interested in me. I guess I should have been thankful for that.

The rest of the day was a monotonous cycle of endless classes. I tried my best to pay attention, both to the teacher and the students around me. I smiled and laughed in all the right places, frowned and grimaced at the expected times, and offered my own funny stories of living with my dad. I couldn't reveal my secret of course, but there were plenty of other weird situations in my family that I could talk about.

The one that got the most laughs was the time we accidentally left my brother at the airport. It had been long ago-more years than I cared to count. My brother had been twelve, and I was seven. My father had been panicking ever since we had gotten off the plane. We were moving to a new state, and my father was always anxious while we were in the process of switching our location. He scooped up the bags from the baggage claim, scooping up me, and didn't scoop up my brother, who had paused to stare into the arcade. Even though we were earlier than we had expected, my dad was acting as if we were five hours late.

We had been driving for ten minutes when my dad got the phone call.

"Uh, hello, uh, excuse me, sir, but we have your son, at the airport?"

"OH HOLY-"

Yeah. And Dad got mad when I cursed.

Needless to say, we drove back to pick up my brother, who wasn't at all scarred by the ordeal. In fact, he seemed to have loved it, because he wouldn't shut up about it. "I looked around and I couldn't see you and I couldn't see Lila and I didn't know where you where so I tugged on this lady's jacket and she was real nice and she helped me and brought me to this real big desk and the guy asked if I knew if you were still there and I said I didn't know and he asked if I knew your cell phone number and I said yep you made me memorize it and he asked what it was and I told him and he called you and you came and oh they gave me these plastic wings!!"

My new friends liked to hear about my brother when he was younger. Back then, it had all been fun and games. He had been a hyper, happy boy that everyone enjoyed being around.

Of course, I didn't tell them other stories that were recent. I had just met them. I knew that even if I had known them for a year, I wouldn't tell them. They didn't need to hear about how he had changed.

After school, I rushed out the front doors, hoping that my dad was there early. He wasn't.

I started to walk aimlessly at a leisurely pace . . . My pace quickened when I heard a familiar voice calling me.

"Lila! Hey, Lila! Slow down!"

It was Alice.

I didn't listen to her and started walking faster. I wished there weren't any humans around us. Then, I could just run, and never look back.

"Lila!" Alice reached out and gently touched my shoulder the way a mother would try to calm an upset child. I could tell that she knew something was wrong, but wasn't sure what exactly it was.

"Yes, Alice?" I asked, straining to see around her and searching vainly for my father's Taurus.

"Why wouldn't you stop for me?" She looked really hurt, as if I had just told her I hated her outfit. "I know you heard me."

"I . . . I, uh," I stammered, trying to form complete sentences. I didn't know how exactly to express how I was feeling. I took a deep breath.

Alice suddenly looked disappointed. "Oh, that's what all of this is about? You think we'll be mad that you're making human friends?"

I avoided her gaze and nodded at the sidewalk. I had never before taken the time to appreciate all of the cracks, the grass beside it, the weeds . . .

Alice huffed. "Really, Lila, I thought you were smarter than this. Well, okay, Rosalie's a bit mad at you. But she's only jealous, really. The rest of us mostly support you."

"Mostly support me?"

"I think it's great you're getting to know more humans. You can learn about that side of yourself, something my family can never help you with. But some of us . . . Well, they're afraid you're going to lose control. They don't want to have to rescue you, because that will blow our cover, and we'll all have to move. Again."

I bit my lip, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. They were afraid that I would attack humans? If Carlisle, and maybe even Alice, who, as far as I could tell, fully trusted me, were unsure about whether I would be able to control myself, should I stay away from humans? Should I abandon the friendships I'd worked so hard to start today?

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

I really didn't want to ask the question, but I had to get it over with. "Do you . . . Do you ever see me, you know, hurt anyone?"


	13. Alice

Alice avoided my eyes. My father had always commented on how I could easily read someone's face and right now, to me, her emotions were as visible as an open book. I saw sadness, guilt, anger, hate-random flashes of different feelings that didn't last longer than a second. I took that as a yes.

"But you said the future can change, right?" I asked hastily. I needed to know, to be reassured, that my future wasn't set in stone. There was obviously nothing I could do to change the past, but if there was even the slightest sliver of hope for the future, I could be content.

Alice nodded slowly, still not looking at me.

"What, Alice?" I said, a little sharper than I meant to. In a gentler voice, I added, "What's wrong? Have you seen something?"

She finally caved in and gazed at me, golden eyes troubled. "It's what I haven't seen that's bothering me. Your future was hard to see before, but now it's even more complex. You're going to have several paths before you, I think. Your decisions, whatever they may be, will change your future forever. Only you have the power to decide if it takes a turn for the good."

Ugh, this was all getting so deep and complicated! Where was the normal life I had been waiting for? I would even be content with a future where I would always have to be human, avoiding who I was. I didn't care that people were always told to 'be themselves'. I didn't want to face who I was, what I'd been since my birth. I didn't need to be torn between humans and vampires, vampires and werewolves. Why couldn't I just be human?

I was suddenly missing the happy, bubbly Alice. Where had she gone? Why was this sad, serious Alice left in her place? I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to cover them with my hands. I didn't need to hide from the world-I just needed time to think. Alice saw my distress.

"Of course," she added hastily, "You don't need to worry about any of that right now. I can't tell exactly when you'll have to be ready to make life-changing choices. It could be years from now. Or the future could change, and you'll never have to make them."

I knew she was trying to make me feel better, and I appreciated that. But I also knew she was wrong. I would _always_ have to make those decisions-starting with how long I would be allowed to live in Forks. Then there were my friends-I wanted to trust Elizabeth, but I was sure she didn't want to hear that the new girl was half-vampire. And I didn't need to accidentally suck her blood, either.

"Anyway," Alice let out a huge sigh, blowing her sweet floral vampire smell right at me. I caught myself wondering how I smelled to humans, if vampires couldn't smell me at all. "I should go."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Edward leaning against his Volvo, waiting with his eternal patience for Alice. Bella was already in the car, and I wondered why Edward wasn't seating next to her. Then I saw a quick movement inside the car-Bella was trying in vain to look around Edward. I realized that Edward was purposefully blocking Bella's view of our conversation. I was beginning to think Edward was a bit paranoid, and then was again glad he couldn't read my thoughts. But what if my conversation with Alice had been enough to stress me out? I side-glanced at Edward, but his face was as blank and emotionless as usually.

I turned back to Alice, who gave me a quick hug before slipping away. She slid gracefully into the backseat, waving at me as Edward pulled out of the lot. My father's Taurus rolled up a few moments later.

"Do anything interesting in school today?"

I told my father about Elizabeth and my other new friends. He seemed ecstatic, as if I was in preschool and had just told him I knew how to spell my name. But I wasn't sure if some of his happiness came from the fact that he wanted me to know people other than the Cullens.

By the time we reached our house, my father had exhausted his reserve of questions. He still managed to smile as if he had just won the lottery.

When I emerged from the car, I was immediately caught up in his tight embrace. "Lila," he murmured. "I'm so proud of you. I know it was hard, adjusting to a new school, and keeping your-your secret. But you've done it. I'm so proud of you."

I smiled into his jacket, wrapping my arms around him. I leaned into his sturdy frame, breathing in the outdoorsy scent that seemed to follow him everywhere. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you so much, Lila."

----

I heard a single, loud knock on my window.

I sat up, slowly removing the headphones that had covered my ears and shut out the world for the past hour. Somehow, past the loud lyrics and the instruments accompanying them, I had managed to hear the knock. I assumed that was the half-vampire coming out in me.

I stretched my legs, then my arms, feeling the muscles stretching and contracting. After lying immobile with the music screaming in my ears for so long, it was good to be moving.

Then it finally hit me-something was knocking on my _window._ That was strange even when I knew vampires-and apparently werewolves-existed.

I eased open my window-glancing uneasily over my shoulder as I did so. I didn't need my father thinking that I was trying to sneak out, especially since I was apparently starting to become 'normal'. He would think my new friends were 'bad influences' and keep me in lock down for weeks.

I stuck my head through the window, squinting through the oncoming darkness and trying to see what was out there. The woods near our house could have concealed anything. Shadows everywhere were growing longer and providing ample coverage for someone who needed to hide. I couldn't see anyone from my point of view.

"Psst!" I heard a voice call from above-the last place I would have expected. Who could have been on the roof? "Move away from the window!"

"Alice?" I asked, confused. I was still a little dazed from the blood rushing to my head so quickly. Maybe I was hearing things. Maybe I should just shut the window because I'd imagined it all . . .

"Move, Lila!"

I obeyed the voice, though my stomach was twisting and warning me that this might not be a good idea. I walked over to my bed and sat on it as gingerly as if it were a live grenade.

A figure swung into my window, presumably coming from the roof. I stared at it in window. The thing had a human shape, so it couldn't be a random monster. Then, I saw it shake out short, spiky hair while it picked imaginary lint off of its clothing. Definitely Alice.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed, racing over to my door on light feet and shutting it as quietly as I could manage. I knew my dad didn't have vampire hearing, but he still wasn't exactly deaf. "Why couldn't you just come through the door like any sane person would?"

Alice shrugged, unfazed by the angry tone of my voice. "You really need more color in your room," she said absentmindedly.

"Um. Okay." I blinked once, trying to figure out if the only reason she came over was to judge my room and its apparent lack of color. I decided that even Alice wouldn't be so silly as to waste a visit on something as unimportant as that. I crossed my arms, leaning against my wall and waiting for her to get on with whatever she wanted.

"We talked to Sam after school, and he agreed to see you tomorrow. Ask your dad if Edward can pick you up after school tomorrow. Tell him you're going to hang out with him and Bella."

I stared at Alice. "Who's Sam?"

"Oh, that's right. You don't know much about the pack, do you?" At my blank stare, she smiled and continued. "Sam is the leader of the pack. You'll meet everyone tomorrow."

I nodded and mulled over what she'd said. I hated to lie to my father, but it was completely necessary. He accepted the fact that I was half-vampire, but I think he was grateful that I was still half-human. He didn't need to know that the Cullens were vampires, or that werewolves existed. If he knew that a werewolf was a vampire's sworn enemy, and that there was a pack of werewolves living nearby, we would move away so fast I wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Elizabeth.

"Okay," I sighed. "I guess I don't really have a choice. I'll meet them tomorrow."

Alice smiled at me, sensing my unease. She danced over, enveloping me in a hard embrace. "Don't worry. I think they'll like you enough to keep you here."

"Wait," I said, trying to pull back. It was hard-Alice was much stronger than I was. "Can't you see what their decision will be?"

Alice shook her head. "I can't see anything in the future that involves a werewolf."

"That's extremely inconvenient," I muttered, frowning deeply.

"I know," Alice agreed, before hugging me again. She released me from her iron grip and was across the room in a flash, calling out, "I'll see you tomorrow, Lila!"

She disappeared into the night. I gazed after her, but she was only visible for a moment as she darted gracefully into the woods. I turned back to my bed and my music. It was going to be a long night.


End file.
